Chapter Text
“Where’s the dang bag?!” Lev shouted as he watched the conveyor belt go around for a fourth time.
“Look again. If you lose my clothes, I’m going to drop-kick you, Lev.” Yaku said.
The alpha and omega scents were tense, heightened with anxiety and frustration.
Yaku watched his mate with an impatient look, peach scent tinged sour. He had a hand on one of the two bags they retrieved from the mix. One was Lev’s, and the other was one jam-packed with baby things and any overflow from their own bags. Yaku’s suitcase is the one they can’t find.
“I shouldn’t have let you pack our things,” Yaku grumbled.
The alpha shrieked, “What does that have anything to do with it!?”
The couple is making a scene. They’re standing in the middle of an airport in Krasnodar, Russia. People are looking at them odd as they bicker in another language. Their scents drew the attention of the few people passing by. This airport isn’t as busy as the one they departed from in Sendai, but it’s still overwhelming.
They’re young, in a new country with a new baby, and starting their new life.
“Where’s my fucking suitcase!”
“Mori-san, no cursing in front of our son,” Lev whined.
Yaku grumbled, “He is so little he has no idea what’s happening.”
They both stopped to check on the baby sleeping against Yaku’s chest. Five-week-old Makari slept soundly wrapped up in the omega’s warmth. Yaku’s scent was extra strong to soothe the baby and keep him from crying.
The whole flight, the omega let out bits of his sweet scent to keep Makari pacified. Airplanes were a place where scent patches were strictly enforced, but Yaku broke the rules for his baby. He let out a little every now and then. Plus, he figured the other passengers wouldn’t mind a bit of the omega’s scent if it meant no crying baby.
“Ah, there it is.” Lev finally saw the suitcase on the fifth lap. He hurried to pull it from the conveyor belt and set it next to the others.
“You mean you packed the blue one instead of the red one?!” Yaku shouted. “I’ve been looking for the red one this entire time!”
“I didn’t know the blue one would be so difficult to find. They’re all blue!”
“I told you bright colors! Weird colors, Lev!”
The couple stood there in the middle of the airport, bickering about suitcases. Very normal for their relationship.
“Levochka!” A benevolent voice called.
Lev and Yaku glanced up to see Alisa approaching. She had her arms out with a wide smile on her face.
“You finally made it,” She said as she hugged her brother. “I’ve missed you.”
“Missed you, too, sis.” Lev hugged her back, happily scenting her with sandalwood.
He and his sister spent a lot of time together before she moved. They watched the same shows together and favored the same restaurants. Alisa even batted around a volleyball a few times to partake in her brother’s hobby.
When Alisa was hired for her modeling job in Russia last year, much of their relationship suffered when she moved. They were up against different time zones, Alisa was busy with her job, and Lev was even busier with school to graduate early and prepare for a baby.
Despite the distance and every other obstacle, they stayed close. They worked together to figure out how to get Lev and Yaku out of their otherwise adverse situation.
Now, they both knew they would get to see each other often and spend much-needed sibling bonding time together.
“Morisuke-kun,” Alisa turned to Yaku with the biggest smile. “You look as chipper and stunning as ever.” She hugged the omega, careful not to squish the baby.
“Yeah, right,” He scoffed and leaned into the hug. He really missed the beta, too. “Sitting through a 15-hour flight with a squirming baby and this baboon just aged me five years.” He thumbed to his mate.
“Mori-san!” Lev shouted.
“You handle my baboon of a brother well.” She’s been a proud sister-in-law since her brother and Yaku bonded. She was overjoyed to hear they had bonded after dating for over a year. It seemed a bit rushed, and there were times it seemed all they did was bicker, but they had a special connection that was completed with a bond.
“Aw,” Alisa fawned, “My adorable little nephew. I can’t wait to hold him!” She completely forgot how tense alphas and omegas are about their new pups. She was so focused on meeting her nephew for the first time as an overly excited aunt.
Lev and Yaku wouldn’t want anyone holding their pup for some time now. Their, so far, quiet and content son with his light, wispy hair, and honey-brown eyes. He looked like a balanced mix of both of them.
The couple peeked around Alisa to see an elderly woman patiently waiting for her notice.
“Oh!” Alisa stepped aside and held up her hands, “This is Yelena Baranov, a.k.a Gram.”
Lev giddily smiled, excited to finally meet his grandmother. He was pretty amazed when Alisa told him she’d tracked down some family members. They have an uncle and cousins who live a few hours away, too.
“Nice to meet you,” Yaku politely smiled and bowed as Alisa said something in Russian, a greeting presumably at the mention of their names.
Lev and Alisa’s grandmother is what a grandmother may be expected to look. She had grey hair piled in a bun on top of her head. Her face had wrinkles along with the rest of her body, brown eyes creased with age, but friendly nonetheless. Actually, her whole face was friendly as she smiled soothingly. She wore a pair of floral slacks with a sweater and a puffy coat.
The woman spoke in Russian as she took the time to hug each of them. She moved slowly but assuredly when she gave her grandson a bear hug. Lev was practically winded, but he hugged her back. And he towered over the little old woman, of course.
When she turned her attention to Yaku, she held his arms at first, looking him over. She said something, nodded and smiled. Up close, they could smell a tart omega scent. It took a second to place, but they figured out she smelled like cranberries. Mainly sweet with a bit of natural sourness.
“Alisa?” He questioned, hoping for her to translate.
“She said you’re a strong one.”
Yaku looked pleased, “She’s got that right.”
“Did Gram say anything about me?” Lev wondered.
“Clumsy.” The woman said in English, her thick Russian accent making it difficult to decipher.
Everyone but Lev laughed. Gram may not know much about her grandson yet, but she has that right. At least, it was something she picked up as she had previously watched Lev and the suitcase mishap.
The commotion jostled Makari, and he peeped his eyes open. He cooed in the baby carrier against Yaku’s chest.
“Name?” Gram spoke in English again.
“Makari,” Yaku said adoringly as he held out a finger for his son to take. Makari grabbed on and didn’t let go. The omega is his comfort person whom he clings to whenever he can.
“We should get going, I’m sure you’re both starving,” Alisa said as she grabbed one of the suitcases.
Yaku watched the bags carefully. Everything they owned was packed into those three suitcases and two carry-ons. His instincts have been a bit haywire since Makari was born, so the omega has been very possessive. Lev would use the word irritable, but he was also a bit on edge. Especially after everything that happened back in Japan.
Lev grabbed their other two suitcases and a carry-on. He glanced back to check on his mate with hopeful eyes.
Yaku tried to relax a bit despite his anxiety and anticipation. “Sure, let’s get going.” He grabbed his carry-on that served as Makari’s diaper bag. He had just changed him before they got off the plane, so no stinky baby yet.
Gram kept up well with the trio. She didn’t have a cane or anything, but she was a bit hunched and hobbled along.
Alisa was their active translator for the time being. She kept up the conversation as she spoke Russian and Japanese back and forth.
“Wow, you’re really good at speaking Russian now.” Lev put a hand up to his chin. “Well, I think you are. I have no idea what you’re saying.”
Alisa laughed, light and airy. “I’ve had 9 months to work on it. I’m sure you’ll pick up on it quickly. And I can teach you, but I’m still learning.”
They followed Alisa and Gram to the parking lot, getting a blast of cold air as soon as they walked through the door. Mid-January in Russia is freezing, apparently, and while Lev and Yaku expected that, it was still a shock.
Makari didn’t like the cold either. He let out a distressed noise as his little fingers grasped at Yaku’s jacket.
The omega looked down, his heart skipping a beat as he saw Makari’s inquisitive eyes staring back up at him. He smiled and leaned down to kiss the baby’s forehead.
“Is he warm enough?” Lev had to practically crouch to place a kiss on Makari’s forehead.
“He is warm and cozy,” Yaku patted his son’s back.
“My car will be a little cramped, but there’s room for all of us.” Alisa looked quizzical, “Although we might have to fold Lev like a brochure to get him in the backseat.”
Yaku laughed, amused at his mate’s little annoyed huff.
Outside the car, they gathered around. Alisa and Lev loaded the suitcases into the trunk as Gram spoke to Yaku.
His smile faltered as he struggled to understand. Whatever she said must have been positive because her scent smelled very light and happy. “Uh, Alisa? A little help.”
Alisa smiled widely, “Gram got you guys a present.”
The couple turned to the old woman with wide eyes. “A present? You didn’t need to get us anything.”
“She insisted.” Alisa opened the door to the backseat and pointed inside.
They peered in to see a car seat and carrier combo situated in the middle seat.
Yaku felt his eyes water, an overwhelming gratefulness welling up in his chest. “Thank you.” He hugged Gram to show his gratitude.
Gram hugged the omega back, scenting him and Makari.
“Thanks, Gram.” Lev excitedly said. “This is so cool! How does it work?”
“We just buckle him up. The difficult part is situating the seat in the car, and that’s already done.” Yaku nudged him aside so he could get to the seat in the middle.
Lev trailed over to the other side and shoved his long limbs into the backseat. “Okay, Mori-san, show me how to do it.”
They all piled into the car to escape the cold. It took Yaku a couple of tries, but he buckled up Makari and ensured he was secure.
“This is amazing. Really.” Yaku said, waiting for Alisa to translate.
A sweet, generous gesture. Something they needed but couldn’t bring with them from Japan. Something that was at the top of the list of worries for Yaku because his pup’s safety is most important.
“It’s an hour back to Gram’s place, but we can stop for food on the way. I know the perfect restaurant. You’re going to love it!” Alisa said with optimism.
Once they were on the road, things really set in for the young couple. Lev and Yaku both watched the scenery go by as they took in the fact that they were in a different country, starting a different chapter in their lives.
They had to leave Japan for many reasons. One was the backlash, borderline hate, they received from their parents. Lev’s mother and Yaku’s mother, and father weren’t great people.
Lev’s mother was barely in the picture to begin with, so when her children became adults, she kicked them out of the house. On the other hand, Yaku’s parents were involved, much too involved. They were disappointed their only son was an omega instead of an alpha. Even more disappointed when their omega son became pregnant at 19. His parents were quite the mix of unsupportive and disappointed. Despite the fact that Yaku had studied childcare and worked at a daycare at the time, he was very confident in his abilities to take care of a baby of his own.
Yaku’s parents also disliked Lev— another reason Yaku and his parents often fought. Their dislike for his mate was beyond stressful. They didn’t allow Lev in their lives, so it made it nearly impossible for Yaku to live his.
Having both been miserable, they moved out of their parents’ homes and moved in together. This wasn’t enough because Yaku still received harassment from his parents. The young couple was also struggling. They struggled to make rent, save up for the baby, and enjoy life.
That’s when Alisa stepped in. She’d moved to Russia only a few short weeks after Yaku announced his pregnancy. She left to pursue her modeling career. Having moved to Russia, she connected with a few family members, including their paternal grandmother.
In the span of a few months, after Alisa caught wind of the turmoil her brother and his mate were in, she cooked up a plan. Their grandmother had offered her home to Alisa because she lived alone and wanted to get closer to her family whom she’d never met before. Alisa politely declined because she already had living arrangements closer to her work. However, she pitched the idea of Lev, Yaku, and their baby coming to live with her instead.
Their grandmother loved the idea and encouraged the young couple to move to Russia.
So, after months of planning, saving, and struggling, they’d finally done it.
So much of what they did was for Makari. Yaku leaned over to see the pup sleeping soundly in the car seat. Seems like the car ride lulled him to sleep. When the omega saw him, he knew it was all worth it.
While worth it, it didn’t stop the impending ball of nerves in Yaku’s stomach.
“Lev, I’m nervous.” The omega quietly said, tuning out Alisa and Gram’s chatter in the front. “How will we do this?”
The alpha looked over at his mate and smiled, “I’m nervous, too, but I know we can do this. When we’re together, anything feels possible.”
Lev held out his hand over Makari’s car seat. His palm beckoned Yaku’s closer until their fingers were laced together and resting over their son. Their hands are joined, and the marks on their necks warmed from the connection between them.
There are so many emotions to feel at once. Fear, anxiety, joy, anticipation, and an odd sense of trust. Somehow, they knew the new life they were embarking on would be okay.